Interlibrary Loan FAQ

What is Interlibrary Loan?

Interlibrary Loan is a service that allows you to borrow materials that are not owned by the McDermott Library. Through Interlibrary Loan, the library obtains these materials for you from other libraries. All UT Dallas faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students can request books, articles, and other materials through Interlibrary Loan.

What Can I Request

You can request books, articles, book chapters, dissertations, conference papers, microfilm, and other materials that one might find in a library, like videos and sheet music.

Which materials cannot be obtained through Interlibrary Loan?

Currently assigned textbooks and books and multimedia owned by the McDermott Library cannot be requested through Interlibrary Loan.

Materials such as movies, music, genealogical material, books published before 1900, and bestsellers are harder to obtain through Interlibrary Loan, but you can certainly submit requests for them and we will try our best to borrow them for you.

How do I submit requests?

You will submit all your Interlibrary Loan requests through your Interlibrary Loan account, online. You can access your account through the Interlibrary Loan website:

If you’ve never used Interlibrary Loan before, of you haven’t used it since the Spring 2012 semester, you’ll be prompted to fill out an Interlibrary Loan registration form. Once you submit it, you’ll be able to access your Interlibrary Loan account.

Requesting books and media. Once you’ve logged in to your Interlibrary Loan account, click on the button that says “Request a Book.” Enter the information that you have and click the “Submit” button at the bottom.

Requesting Articles. Click on the “Request and Article” button, and enter the citation information that you have for the article you want. The more information you provide, the quicker the library can process your request. Click “Submit” when you’re done filling out the request form.

How much does Interlibrary Loan cost?

Interlibrary Loan is a free service.

How long does it take to receive materials?

Normally, books take 5 to 10 days to arrive. Rare or very popular materials may take longer, however.

Articles and book chapters arrive in 1 to 3 business days on average, and are delivered electronically from the other library.

How will I know that my material has arrived?

You will be notified by e-mail when the material you request is available. The Interlibrary Loan department uses your UT Dallas e-mail account.

Where do I pick up my Interlibrary Loan materials?

Books and media can be picked up at either the McDermott Library Circulation Desk or the Callier Library – whichever location you choose when you register for Interlibrary Loan. You must have your Comet Card with you when you go to checkout your Interlibrary Loan materials.

Journal articles and book chapters will be posted to your Interlibrary Loan account as PDF files, and you can view, save, or print them by clicking on the “Get Requested Articles/Book Chapters/Conference Papers” button. Please keep in mind that articles are deleted from your account after 30 days.

Where do I return my Interlibrary Loan materials?

Interlibrary Loan materials can be returned to the McDermott Library Circulation Desk or the Callier Library – whichever location you choose when you register for Interlibrary Loan. Please note that overdue materials resulting in a blocked account must be received by the Interlibrary Loan office in Richardson before your Interlibrary Loan account is unblocked.

What is the loan period?

The loan period is at the discretion of the lending library. Libraries usually allow us to keep materials for three to five weeks, often with the option of one two week renewal period.

How do I renew my Interlibrary Loan materials?

You can request renewals through your Interlibrary Loan account. To do this, click on the “Request a Renewal” button in your account, and locate the item you want to renew. Once you open the request for the item you want to renew, click on the button at the top that says “Request Renewal.”

Keep in mind that the lending library grants permission for renewals, not UT Dallas library staff. You will be notified by e-mail once the lending library confirms or denies your renewal request.

Are there any fines for Interlibrary Loan materials?

Yes, fines are assessed for the late return of books and media borrowed through Interlibrary Loan. To avoid fines, return all Interlibrary Loan materials to the Circulation Desk of the McDermott Library or Callier Library by the due date.

If you lose or damage an ILL item, you will be assessed replacement fees by the lending library.

What happens when my Interlibrary Loan item is overdue?

Late return of Interlibrary Loan items will result in a daily fine. If your Interlibrary Loan item is 5 or more days past due, your Interlibrary Loan account will be BLOCKED. A blocked account suspends your Interlibrary Loan privileges until all overdue Interlibrary Loan items have been returned

What happens with lost or damaged Interlibrary Loan materials?

f an Interlibrary Loan item is lost, long overdue, or damaged while checked out to your account, you will be assessed replacement and/or damaged fees by the lending library. Damaged materials will be returned to the lending library for evaluation. Any fees charged by the lending library for lost or damaged materials will be applied to your library account.

Lost Interlibrary Loan Materials: If an Interlibrary Loan item is lost or considered long overdue by the lending library, you will be charged for replacement of the item. The amount charged to your library account is determined by the lending library according to their policies.

Damaged Interlibrary Loan Materials: If you return an Interlibrary Loan item damaged, a note will be put in your library account and you will be notified by the Interlibrary Loan office of potential charges for the damaged material. The damaged material will then be returned to the lending library for assessment. If the lending library invoices the library, all fees associated with the damaged material will be applied to your library account